Type sector setting means in data printers

ABSTRACT

THE PRINTING SECTORS OF AN ADDING OR CALCULTING MACHINE ARE PROVIDED WITH OUTWARDLY YIELDABLE TYPE CARRYING SECTIONS. AN ALIGNINING MEMBER IS MOVABLE OUTWARDLY INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH DETENTING NOTCHES IN THE SECTIONS, THE MEMBER FLEXING THE SECTIONS TO FORM A SOLID BASE AGAINST WHICH TYPE HAMMERS IMPACT.

NOV. 23, 1971 J, G, CLAFQY TYPE SECTOR SETTING MEANS IN DATA PRINTERSFiled March 4, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. JoH/v G. QAQY Nov. 25,1971 J. G. CLARY 3,621,777

TYPE SECTOR SETTING MEANS IN DATA PRINTERS Filed March 4. 1970 2Sheets-Sheet 2 mwen/Tm JOHN (J. CLA/Y BY LA United States Patent O U.S.Cl. 101-93 R 7 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE The printing sectors ofan adding or calculating machine are provided with outwardly yieldabletype carrying sjections. An aligning member is movable outwardly intoengagement with detenting notches in the sections, the member flexingthe sections to form a solid base against which type hammers impact.

This invention relates to data printing mechanisms such as those foundin adding and calculating machines.

Many such machines embody pivoted sectors arranged in side-by-siderelation. Type characters are spaced along the peripheries of suchsectors against which a paper tape is imprinted, the particularcharacters being imprinted depending upon the setting of the sectorsunder control of a settable stop pin carriage or settable keys. In orderto properly align the selected type characters to be printed along a`printing line, an alignment element or bar may be moved into engagementwith spaced detenting formations or notches on the sectors after thelatter has been set and prior to the imprinting action.

Heretofore, problems have been encountered in causing the alignmentelement to accurately align all of the printing sectors due to minutevariations in dimensions of the sectors and associated parts or due tonecessary tolerance's in such dimensions. For example, the alignment barmay firmly seat in the detenting notches of certain of the sectors toaccurately align the same but not properly seat in others, therebyresulting in misalignment of the latter.

Also, if the alignment member is located diametrically opposite theprinting line, any misalignment error between the member and the sectorbecomes twice as great at the printing line.

Although' adjustment features may be provided and adjustments made orparts manufactured to greater accuracy in order to eliminate the abovenoted variations in dimensions, such features are relatively costly andthe adjustments are time consuming. v

Further, it has been found that when the sectors are loosely supportedor the supporting means for the sectors is yieldable, the sectors maymove slightly during the printing impact, resulting in a slight butnoticeable double printing or smudging of the printed type characters.

The present invention overcomes the above problems by lcausing thealignment element to be moved substantially radially outwardly from theaxis of the printing sectors-into seating engagement with detentingformations formed on arcuate type character sections which are4yieldably supported by the sectors proper. The alignmeut element islocated directly in line with the printing hammers and is movabletowards such hammers to seat in the detenting notches, causing the typecharacter sections to yield outwardly slightly. Thus, the alignmentelement not only accurately aligns all of the sectors but also forms asolid base or anvil located closely adjacent the point of impact andagainst which the type character sections rest during the imprintingaction to insure a clear, crisp imprint.

The invention also results in a more compact printer mechanism since thealignment element is located within the conliguration of the printingsectors.

Further, the printing sectors must differentially advance to differenttype printing positions prior to movement of the alignment element intotype aligning position, and because of such difference in timing,separate actuating cams and cam operated mechanism have generally beenprovided heretofore.

The present invention enables a single cam and cam operated mechanism toboth yieldably drive the sectors to different type printing positionsand to thereafter actuate the alignment element, thereby simplifying theconstruction of the printing mechanism and reducing the cost ofmanufacture and assembly. Such construction also insures proper timingof the sector driving feature and the sector aligning feature.

It therefore becomes the principal object of the present invention toprovide a highly reliable printing mechanism of the above type capableof accurate alignment of type characters and yet which has a minimumnumber of parts, is compact and simple and economical to manufacture andassemble.

The manner in which the above and other objects of the invention areaccomplished will be readily understood in reference to the followingspecification when read in con'- junction with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation view, with parts broken away, of a tenykey adding machine embodying a preferred form of the present invention.

FIG. -2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2 2 ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation view illustrating the drive mechanismfor the type sectors and alignment bar.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged view illustrating part of a type sectorand its relation to the alignment bar.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a printing sector per se.

Describing the illustrated embodiment of the invention in detail themachine in which the invention is embodied is the well known andcommercially available Addmaster adding machine which is disclosedbasically in U.S. Pat. No. 3,113,719 issued to R. E. Busch on Dec. 10,1963 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,132,582 issued to H. L. Clary et al. May 12,1964. Reference may be had to these patents for a disclosure ofoperating instrumentalities not shown herein.

Amounts are entered into the machine through ten amount keys ranging invalue from zero to nine, two of which keys are indicated at 11.Different functions of the machine, such as addition and substractionoperations, are controlled by depressing certain function control keys(not shown), each effective to cause a cycle of operation of themachine, during which time a main shaft 12 and a printer control shaft13 are each rotated clockwise through one complete revolution.

An arcuate pin carriage generally indicated at 14 and carrying a fieldof coordinately arranged settable stop pins 15 is suitably guided formovement transversely of the machine under control of suitableescapement means operable by each amount key upon depression thereof.

Each of the amount keys 11 is guided for vertical movement and isconnected to a respective flexible cable 16 whichis guided for endwisemovement in a curved guide channel formed in a stationary guide block17. All of the cables are located in a vertical plane which liescoincident with a lefthand column of the stop pins 15 when the pincarriage is in its home position.

A plurality of plastic printing sectors 18 are independently andpivotally mounted in side-by-side relation on a support shaft 20 whichis journaled in bearings 21 carried by side plates 22 and 23 formingpart of the machine frame work.

Each sector 18 has a somewhat flexible arcuate type section 24 which isintegral therewith and supported thereby through end sections 26 and 27of greater flexibility than the main section 24. The sections 24 extendover arcuate openings 28 in the sectors. Type characters 25 ranging invalue from to 9 are spaced along the length of each type section 24.

The printing mechanism includes a plurality of elongated type hammers 31which are aligned with respective ones of the types of the printingsectors and are guided for endwise movement in a direction extendingradially of the sectors by guide member 35 and 36.

Guide means including a guide channel 29 and guide member 39 guide apaper tape 33 over a printing ribbon 34 and under the hammers 31.

Leaf springs 32 are effective to impel the hammers endwise to impact thepaper and thus transfer an imprint from alinged ones of the typecharacters 25 onto the tape during a midpoint in each machine cycle.Normally, however, the hammers are held in their illustrated positionsby a cam 37 carried by the printer control shaft 13 and engaged by a camfollower 38 underlying the springs 32. During the printing phase of acycle, the cam follower drops off a shoulder 40 of the cam '37permitting the hammers to be impelled downwardly.

The sectors 18 are effective to transfer amounts to and from anaccumulator generally indicated at 41 and, for this purpose, each sectorhas gear teeth 42 formed thereon and adapted to be meshed with gears 43forming part of the accumulator.

Means are provided for yieldably advancing the various sectors 18 in aclockwise direction from their illustrated home positions during thefirst half of a machine cycle until shoulders 44 thereon arrest againstset ones of stop pins 15 or until arrested by the accumulator duringtotaling and subtotaling operations. For this purpose, the sectors havearcuate openings 45 therein, through which extends a bail rod 46 carriedby arms 47 and 48 which are fastened to the shaft 20. The rod 46normally engages in shallow pockets 50 formed in fiexible tails 51integral with the sectors 18. The bail rod 46 also engages yieldablefingers 471 integral with the sectors and extending radially from shaft20.

Also attached to the shaft 20 is a gear sector 52 which meshes with agear sector 53 fulcrumed at 54 and carrylng a cam follower roller 55which rides in a cam race 56 formed in a cam 57 suitably attached to thedrive shaft 12. The configuration of the cam race 56 is such as toimpart a clockwise rocking movement of the Ibail rod 46 about shaft 20during the first half of a machine cycle to thereby yieldably advancethe various printing sectors 18 until they are differentially arrestedby the stop pins 15 or by the accumulator 41 to position different onesof the type characters 25 under the printing hammers 31. During thelatter half of a machine cycle the bail rod 46 engages the fingers 471to return the sectors 18 counter clockwise to their illustrated homepositions.

According to the present invention the type sections 24 have detentingnotches 59 formed on the under edges thereof in radial alignment withrespective ones of the type characters. The notches are engageable by analignment bar 60 which extends across the various sectors and isslideable radially of the sectors and in line with the type hammers inguide slots 61 formed in the side plates 22 and 23.

Plastic sleeves 62 are secured to the alignment bar 60 to locate the barendwise. The bar 60 is engageable by cam formations 63 extending fromthe arms 47 and 48. Such cam formations are normally angularly spacedfrom the alignment bar 60, as seen in FIG. 3, so that they will notengage the bar until the various printing sectors 18 have been eitherfully or partially advanced clockwise by the bail rod 46.

It will be noted that the detenting notches 59 are V- shaped and areadapted to mate with a similarly shaped formation along the upper edgeof the alignment bar 60.

4 Normally, however, the bar 60 is located in a lower illustratedposition within the arcuate openings 28 formed in the sectors by gravityso that the apex 65 of its upper edge just clears the tips of teeth 66formed between adjacent ones of the notches 59.

When the machine is at rest, and the sectors are in their illustratedhome positions, FIGS. l and 4, the bail rod 46 presses against thefingers 471 causing the latter to yield slightly to maintain shoulders67 on the sectors in contact with the side of the alignment bar 60. Inthis condition, the apex 65 of the bar is out of direct alignment withthe overlying partial portion of the rightmost notch 59 by a smallangular distance a of approximately two degrees. Also, in thiscondition, the shoulders 44 of the various sectors are likewise out ofalignment with the lowermost stop pins 15 by similar amounts so as toprevent any possible interference between any set ones of such stop pinsand the shoulders 44 during initial setting and escapement of the pincarriage when entering amounts therein.

During a cycle of the machine, and after the sectors 18 have beenadvanced clockwise to their digitized positions, the alignment bar 60 iscammed outwardly, as described heretofore, causing the bar to rmly seatin the overlying notches 59, camming all sectors slightly in eitherdirection, to thereby accurately align all of the various typecharacters with a printing line extending under the various hammers.Those sectors located at zero are moved approximately 2 degreesclockwise by the bail rod 46, depending on tolerance or errors ofdimensions and are then centered by engagement of the bar 60 with thesurface 59a. Other sectors are moved slightly in either directiondepending on such tolerances.

In order to insure that the bar seats firmly in all of the notches toaccurately align the selected type characters of all of the sectors withthe printing line, the bar is overdriven slightly outwardly therebycausing all of the type sections 24 to yield outward slightly.Therefore, the bar will form a solid base against which the printingimpact by the hammers 31 is made. This will result in a minimum amountof smudging and will present a clear imprint of the type characters ofthe paper tape 33.

During return movement of the bail rod in a counter clockwise directionafter printing has occurred, the rod will engage the fingers 471 andlikewise return the sectors. At this time, the bar 60 is allowed to dropby gravity into its illustrated position. In the event it should stickor bind in the guide slots 61, the adjacent sloping surfaces of thenotches 59 will cam the same downwardly, out of engagement with thenotches.

I claim:

1. A data printer comprising,

a plurality of sectors arranged side-by-side and independently pivotalon a common axis,

arcuate sections extending concentrically of said axis andv supported bysaid sectors,

said arcuate sections being flexible radially outwardly of said axis,

type characters spaced along the outer periphery of each of said arcuatesections,

detenting formations spaced along the inner periphery of each of saidarcuate sections and aligned radially with respective ones of said typecharacters,

means for differentially advancing said sectors about said axis wherebyto present certain of said type characters to a printing line,

an aligning member extending through said sectors under said arcuatesections and extending parallel to said axis, said aligning member beingmounted for movement radially of said sectors and in line with saidhammers,

means for moving said aligning member radially outwardly from said axiswhereby to engage overlying ones of said detenting formations and toflex said sections outwardly,

means for guiding a record medium over said sectors,

and type hammers moveable toward said arcuate sections to transfer animprint from aligned ones of said type characters onto said recordmedium.

2. A data printer according to claim 1 comprising:

means for impelling said type hammers towards said sections after saidsections have been exed outwardly.

3. A data printer according to claim 1 wherein said detenting formationscomprise V-shaped notches and said aligning member comprises acomplementary shape effective to seat in said notches.

4. A data printer according to claim 3 wherein said V-shaped notches arein alignment with respective ones of said type characters radially ofsaid sectors.

5. A data according to claim 1 wherein said aligning member is moveablein a direction aligned with the direction of movement of said hammers.

6. A data printer according to claim 1 wherein said arcuate sections areintegral with said sectors.

7. A data printer according to claim 1 wherein said advancing meanscomprises a drive cam and cam follower means including yieldable meansoperable by said cam; and cam means operable by said cam follower meansafter advancement of said sectors for camming said aligning member intoengagement with said overlying ones of said detenting formations.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS WILLIAM B. PENN, Primary Examiner

